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Austria Vienna's Holland to realise Champions League dream

James Holland suggests he has reached the pinnacle of club football with Austria Vienna.

The 24-year old Australian midfielder was a key part of the Austrian Bundesliga champions' qualification for Europe's premier club competition which culminated in a 3-2 loss to Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb during the week (Vienna won 4-3 on aggregate).

Holland has been dreaming of this day since his football career started and he was absolutely thrilled with outcome thus far.

"It's dream come true, it is the pinnacle of club football so it is something you grow up watching and something that I have always had the ambition of being in," Holland said.

"After the game it was a relief as we were under the pump quite a bit and it is the first time in the club's history that it has qualified.

"I always believed, it was always a goal for me. I have had the Champions League symbol on my wall for a number of years and have woken up to it every day," he added.

"I went through periods where it was tough but I never stopped believing that if I continued to work hard that I would get there."
"I grew up supporting Manchester United so that would be a special one for me but also someone like a Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.

"I can't really complain to be honest - what an experience it would be to play against those players."

Since Vienna made it through, the group stage draw for the 2013/14 Champions League has been decided with Die Veilchen set to take on Portugal's FC Porto, Spain's Atletico Madrid and Russia's Zenit St Petersburg in Group G.